CMEV has received several reports regarding incidents of assault and injury to persons as CMEV received the following reports in connection with postal voting on 24th and 25th March in the April 2004 General Election. The following are amongst the 16 reports received. They relate to incidents which occurred on the 24th March 2004.

Nuwara Eliya District
Kolomba Chuta, Telecom Nishantha and Sunil, supporters of UNF candidate and cabinet minister S.B Dissanayake are alleged by Nuwara Eliya District UPFA candidate Jayaratna Dissanayake to have assaulted his polling agents outside the Hanguranketa CTB depot, a polling center in the Hanguranketa Polling Division. Mr Jayaratna Dissanayake has lodged a complaint to this effect with the Hanguranketa Police (EIB 12/2004).

It is also alleged that Mr S.B. Dissanayake’s wife Ms Tamara Dissanayake conducted a political meeting in front of the Kotmale Pradeshiya Sabha office, a Polling Centre, in the Kotmale Polling Division.


Matale District
Supporters of UNF cabinet minister and candidate Mr Alick Aluvihare are alleged to have threatened UPFA supporters in the vicinity of the Matale CTB Depot, Polling Centre. It is also alleged that a Pajero jeep with posters of Mr Aluvihare and bearing the number plate 65-0876 in front and the number plate 65-8674 at the back, was parked inside the premises of the Bus Depot.


Hambantota District
In the Tangalle Polling Division, two vehicles with cut outs of two UNF candidates Mr Sajit Premadasa and Mr Eraj Ravindra respectively were seen inside the Ambalantota AGA Office, Polling Centre. UNF supporters were also observed distributing propaganda material of these two candidates to postal voters.

In another Polling Centre in this Polling Division – the AGA office,Tangalla, six supporters of two UNF candidates – Mr Dilip Wedarachchi and Mr Eraj Ravindra - were observed distributing propaganda material inside the premises of the Polling Centre.

Ratnapura District
Within the premises of three polling Centres in the Ratnapura Polling Division, CMEV monitors observed UNF and UPFA supporters distributing campaign material including cards with the photograph and number of individual party candidates. The Polling Centers identified were the Municipal Council, the Chief Minister’s office complex, the Provincial Ministry in charge of Local Government, and the Provincial Ministry in charge of Health and Indigenous Medicine. In a fourth Polling Centre, the Forest Conservation Office, UNF and UPFA supporters were seen campaigning outside the Polling Centre.

Kurunegala District
S.A. Ranatunga JVP Provincial council candidate was assaulted by a group of UNF party supporters in the vicinity of the Girulla CTB Bus Depot, a Polling Centre in the Katugampola Polling Division. UNF Pannala PS member Jayantha Canagaratne was present. Complaint filed with Police (EIB34/53).

CMEV has also received two reports of incidents in the Jaffna and Batticaloa Districts, respectively.

Jaffna District
CMEV received a report of a clash between supporters of the EPDP and Jaffna university students. This incident took place on 25 March 2004; near Kokuvil Manchavanapathi Pilliar Kovil at around 10.00 a.m. Jaffna Student Union representative Sudenraja told CMEV that they were attacked by police personnel providing security to EPDP candidate Kanagaratam Mannipallavarajah, a.k.a Nishanthan, when they were campaigning in the area. President of the Student Union Paheerathan has been hospitalized for minor injuries as a result of the attack. When contacted by CMEV, EPDP candidate Kanagaratnam Mannipallavarajah alleged that the university students were responsible for the attack. Both parties have lodged complaints with the police against each other.

Batticaloa District
On the 23rd around 8.00 p.m. Professor Thevenayagam Thiruchelvam, Senior Lecturer and Acting Dean of the Agriculture faculty was shot at his home in Kallady, by two unidentified gunman. He is receiving treatment at the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital for gunshot wounds.

Whilst no alleged perpetrator has been identified by the victim or his family, sections of local opinion have informed CMEV that they hold the LTTE responsible for this shooting and see it in the context of the power struggle between the LTTE and Karuna. Since this shooting is seen by sections of Batticaloa opinion as being of a political nature, CMEV is of the opinion that it has a bearing on the General Election. In particular, CMEV reiterates the concerns it raised with regard to the climate in which the election campaign has had to be conducted in the North and East. All political actors, including the LTTE and the Karuna group, have a responsibility in ensuring as a basic minimum, a violence free election in the Batticaloa District.

CMEV was formed in 1997 by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), the Free Media Movement (FMM) and the Coalition against Political Violence as an independent and non-partisan organization to monitor the incidence of election related violence.

Dr. P. Saravanamuttu Co-Convenor	Sunila Abeysekera Co-Convenor	Sundanda Deshapriya Co-Convenor